Prora

54°26′21″N 13°34′32″E / 54.43917°N 13.57556°E / 54.43917; 13.57556

Prora
Aerial view of Prora (2020)
Prora is located in Germany
Prora
Location within Germany
Alternative namesColossus of Prora
General information
TypeBeach resort
Architectural styleNazi
LocationProrer Wiek, Rügen
CountryGermany
Construction started1936
Construction stopped1939 (onset of WWII)
Cost237.5 million ℛ︁ℳ︁
OwnerMetropole Marketing
Design and construction
Architect(s)
Awards and prizesGrand Prix (1937 Paris World Exposition)
Website
www.proradok.de/en/startseite-2/
"Koloss von Prora" or the Colossus of Prora

The Colossus of Prora, commonly known as simply "Prora", is a building complex in the municipality of Binz on the island of Rügen, Germany. It was built by Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1939 as part of the Strength Through Joy (Kraft durch Freude or KdF) project. It consisted of eight identical buildings and was 4.5 km (2.8 mi) in length parallel to the beach, with the surviving structures stretching 3.0 km (1.9 mi).

Although the buildings were planned as a holiday resort, construction was not completed, and they were not used for this purpose. Prora, as it was known, was however used largely by the Nazi Party for propaganda, with the supposed strength and power displayed in the construction effort of the complex likened by the party to that of themselves.[1] After World War II, the complex found various military uses, first by the Soviet Army, then by the East German Volksarmee, and then by the German Bundeswehr. Today, it houses a large youth hostel, a hotel, and holiday apartments.

  1. ^ Harrison, Benjamin (26 July 2019). Cambridge IGCSE and O Level History Option B: The 21st Century. Hodder Education. ISBN 978-1510421196.